While Harry Potter Wasn't Looking
by Child of Two Worlds
Summary: If I do not acknowledge it, it does not exist." [signed] Harry Potter (3rd year AU RPG Prequel)


Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all his taller friends belong to JKR, as does the little world I'm playing in. There are a couple of people she didn't create and they belong to their creators. Once more, I'm just playing with them (and putting words in their mouths...).   
  
Author's Notes: Even though this is an AU of PoA I'm sticking closer to canon than white on rice. Everything is still going to happen as it did in the books, only from a different perspective.   
  
  
  
_While Harry Potter Wasn't Looking_  
Chapter One - "First We Have to Get There"   
  
In a compartment in the first car of the Hogwarts Express were two girls sitting across from one another. One was a lanky Indian girl with dark wavy hair pulled up into a bun. She sat primly on the soft cushions cuddling a spotted kitten in her lap. Every now and then she would look up, quickly observe her companion, and return to her kitten.   
  
The other girl was staring out the window, unconsciously tucking loose bits of her blond hair behind her ear. She was tall, having her legs casually stretched out in front of her and leaning back on the armrest to get a better view of the quickly receding landscape. "I can't see them anymore," she said, then turned her attention to her traveling companion and smiled amiably. "...I'm sorry, what was your name again?"   
  
"Anoop Banerjee," Anoop replied with drilled gentility.   
  
"Cassie Krippendorf."   
  
"I know," Anoop gave a small smile, "That was your brother, Angelo, who put our trunks away."   
  
"Yep, though I think he was showing off," Cassie giggled, "He's always so pretentious around school time."   
  
Anoop nodded, remembering how the fourth year Slytherin guided them through the platform as well as the conversation; carefully mentioning every quality of House of Serpents. "Hogwarts will be a whole new world for you two, daunting and demanding, but you have to adapt to survive," he had said while forcing her trunk into the overhead rack. It was painfully obvious, at least to Anoop, where Angelo wanted his sister to go.   
  
"What's your kitten's name?" Cassie asked, her hand hovering nearby, waiting for it to sniff.   
  
"Minerva."   
  
"She's very cute," Cassie gestured with her other hand to the gray rat sleeping under his exercise wheel., "Maxim, my rat, 'still sleeping in his cage. ...Minerva doesn't snack on rats, does she?"   
  
A shriek followed closely by a muffled explosion (which sounded like a sewage overflow) interrupted Anoop's reply. She and Minerva turned identical cool gazes upon the wall as if daring it to do that again. A moment later bubbles were streaming passed their window.   
  
From her seat, as she pressed her face against the glass, Cassie could see that the bubbles came from the compartment in front of them. Of course, they decided to investigate.   
  
Out in the narrow hall, Cassie slid open the offending door only to be sloshed by squelchy green foam. Anoop peered over her shoulder, her eyes locking onto the mass of foam saddled between two mountainous boys that looked like they had the combined intelligence of a gnat. All three were glaring at a furious girl crouched on the bench. Her uniform and auburn hair were askew (as well as a pair of oval glasses that were holding onto her face for dear life), but her wand arm was steadily pointed at the boys.   
  
Anoop realized the blob was Draco Malfoy when he wiped the foam off his face (Crabbe and Goyle were just blinking away the suds that spattered them). She chuckled evilly and Cassie grinned. However, the others were too busy yelling obscenities at one another and ignored them both.   
  
"You're going to pay for that, Dragon," Malfoy burbled. He flicked his wand, spotting the girl's shoe with suds. Nothing happened. Malfoy turned to one goon, "What are you waiting for?! Get her!"   
  
Crabbe and Goyle reacted instantly, reaching out with large meaty hands to seize the fiery sprite.   
  
"RUNAWAY!" she yelled, jumping off the bench and bowling into Cassie and Anoop. Caught up in whatever mess had been created (suds and otherwise), the three scrambled to get away, sprinting down the narrow corridor. Crabbe and Goyle were close behind, stomping and panting up the car.   
  
The girls bounded into the next car, startling a boy just coming out of the loo. He fell backwards into the tiny room and the door slid shut as the train rolled along. A few compartments away they could see an open door. They dove for it, landing in a messy pile.   
  
"Close the door! Close the door!" Dragon shouted, pushing and kicking to get to the doorknob. She slammed it and leaned down to listen for footsteps outside.   
  
Cassie and Anoop, with a little difficulty, sat up and stared at this brazen girl. They panted and hung on each other but otherwise said nothing.   
  
Outside, Crabbe and Goyle had just entered the second car. They stared stupidly at the empty corridor.   
  
"They're not here," Goyle grunted.   
  
"Maybe they hid in the bathroom?" Crabbe suggested hopefully.   
  
"First years are really tiny," he agreed, "And stackable. You know, like sheep."   
  
They lumbered over to the compact bathroom. Even stacked, three first years would be hard pressed to fit in there at once. Instead of improvisational gymnastics, Crabbe and Goyle found a very nervous boy with toilet tissue in his sandy-blond hair. Before Goyle could politely point out the unsanitary accessory the boy made a high pitched squeaking sound and bolted into the other car.   
  
Crabbe and Goyle looked perplexedly at each other. Well, more so than usual. They'd run out of ideas and had no one to give them orders to make up for it.   
  
Crabbe looked at his watch. "The Trolley Lady's coming soon."   
  
Goyle's eyes glazed in greed, "I want Cockroach Clusters." A drop of spittle ran down his chin and dripped on his tie.   
  
They left to find Draco who would snidely explain that Crabbe's stomach was not on the same schedule as the Trolley Lady (she wouldn't be coming around for another hour and a half).   
  
Back in the compartment, Anoop perceived a new threat. This compartment was not as empty as it had appeared. Sitting a few inches from her face, its breath whistling through its teeth, was the scariest owl she had ever seen. It grinned toothily at her, baring every single one of it denture-like incisors, canines and molars.   
  
Anoop squeaked and shrunk behind Cassie, who turned around. The owl cocked his head curiously as he gazed at them. She turned back, white faced. "Hey... hey you. We should get out of here," she whispered to their semi anonymous companion.   
  
"Mushy-boo's not going to bite your nose off," said a new voice somewhere to the left.   
  
"AH!" Dragon yelled, finally seeing the owl.   
  
Anoop got to her feet and smoothed her clothes. The others did the same, carefully edging away from the owl. It hopped to the top of a small pile of books, still grinning. In the corner was a ridiculously large book with a tiny girl with curly brown hair nestled behind it. Her round blue eyes peered over the top.   
  
"Mushy-boo's the offspring of my Mum's owl and my grandmother's dentures," she explained.   
  
"That ... makes sense, strangely enough..." said Cassie. She and the other two were still staring at the owl.   
  
"My name is Juliet St. Cyr. May I ask who you are?" Juliet asked when no introductions were forthcoming.   
  
Anoop twitched, breaking out of her stupor, "Anoop Banerjee. Pleasure to meet you."   
  
"Cassie Krippendorf."   
  
"Krystalia Dragon. That is one freaky owl." She pushed her glasses back up on her nose.   
  
Juliet looked appraisingly at the toothsome owl, "Why yes, he is."   
  
Someone knocked heavily on the door. Cautiously and with much goading from the other occupants, Krystalia slid back the door.   
  
"D-do any of these b-belong to you?" asked a young boy, probably a first year as well, sounding much aggrieved. His sandy blond hair was sticking up at odd ends and halfway out of the ponytail and his glasses somehow managed to be bent in half while still on his face. He held up a speckled kitten and a rat cage.   
  
Anoop swooped down on her kitten, "I nearly forgot about them!"   
  
Cassie claimed her rat and wiggled a finger at him (he squeaked in return), "Where did you find them?"   
  
He heaved a dramatic sigh, "That c-cat-"   
  
"Minerva," Anoop corrected.   
  
He ignored that, "W-wouldn't l-leave me alone," he picked at his shredded trousers, "And now they're safe. H-happily Ever After." He glowered at everyone in the compartment, even Mushy-boo.   
  
"Thanks!" Cassie smiled brightly.   
  
"You have toilet paper in your collar-" Juliet had started say, but he'd already stalked off.   
  
"Pleasant chap," Krystalia commented, "I bet he's a blast at parties."   
  
"What spell did you use on Draco Malfoy?" Anoop asked while once again cuddling her kitten. That kitten is really a ham, minus the glaze. It purred and did cute things for all it was worth, drawing every bit of attention it could. Kittens have that effect.   
  
Regardless, Krystalia was able to answer coherently, "Scurge, it's a really good cleaning spell."   
  
"Janitors use it to get rid of really nasty grime," said Juliet, picking at the spine of her book.   
  
"It was wicked," said Cassie.   
  
Krystalia grinned proudly.   
  
"Why did you do it though?" asked Anoop.   
  
"He said something inappropriate," Krystalia said darkly.   
  
Insert our awkward silence.   
  
"So... lovely weather we've been having," said Juliet.   
  
Everyone looked at the darkening clouds that had overtaken the train and stretched from horizon to horizon. A few drops streaked across the window.   
  
"You're all first years as well?" asked Cassie and she received a chorus of "yes".   
  
That jump-started the conversation again. Soon the Trolley Lady came around and a new mountain was brought into being. Impressed, Mushy-boo fluttered to the summit to peer down at the girls picking away at the base. As the hours passed the scenery grew bleaker, the heavens opened and the mountain of candy became a gentle knoll. It was mid-after noon when the train slowed to a stop; the pounding rain sounding impossibly loud without the engine's pistons churning away.   
  
"Are we there?" asked Cassie.   
  
"I don't think so," replied Anoop.   
  
"Maybe there's a problem with the engine?" suggested Juliet.   
  
"Yeah, and we'll have to get out and push," said Krystalia.   
  
Then the lights flickered out and a biting cold leached into every corner of the room. It clawed under their skin, stealing any warmth or happiness they had. Relentless, it hung about and tore down defenses in endless greed. Shadows, blacker than the moonless night, glided passed the window.   
  
"Dementors," Juliet hissed, curling up. She was the most lucid of the four.   
  
Everything returned to normal within a few minutes, but they continued to sit as if frozen in their seats. A moment later Juliet mechanically grabbed three boxes of Chocolate Frogs. She pressed one into each of her companions' hands before getting her own. "Eat it," she croaked before curling up into a tight ball and eating her chocolate. No one gave any attention to the people pacing the hall outside.   
  
Slowly, the warmth seeped back into their limbs. It took only a moment of quiet contemplation for each to realize why the Dementors were on the train. Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban and the Dementors were searching for him.   
  
"Why the hell would Sirius Black ride with us? The Trolley Lady only serves pumpkin juice," Krystalia said irritably.   
  
"Maybe it's the pleasurably company available. He'd want to discuss the weather and the next Death Eater fund raiser before going on a murderous rampage," Anoop replied scathingly.   
  
The train lurched and they started their journey once more. The train continued onto Hogsmeade station without any other delays. Though, upon arriving at the platform the girls wished the train could have done something, like take a scenic route, so they didn't have to go out in a downpour of icy rain.   
  
Still, they hustled out onto the platform, clutching their cloaks tightly, along with all the other students. It was impossible to see more than three feet ahead.   
  
A lantern bobbed by the edge of the platform outlining a looming shadow. As they got closer a wide pea coat topped with a heavily bearded face appeared. He was twice as tall as any of the students on the platform, and triple the size of the first years that flocked about him. "Firs' years this way!"   
  
Juliet took one look and said, "He's going to squash me like a midge!"   
  
"He's going to ground our bones to make his bread," said Krystalia.   
  
"And make jam with our eyeballs," added Cassie.   
  
Anoop rolled her eyes, "That's an ogre," and pulled them towards the giant man. He gazed around the platform and suddenly yelled over the heads of those around him, "All righ' you three?" Whoever he was yelling to never replied, but he seemed satisfied nonetheless.   
  
"Any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! It's a tad slipp'ry. Firs' years follow me!" he called and led the soaked children down to the shore where the boats waited. He introduced himself as Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys.   
  
At the shore were the boats that would take them across the lake. Hagrid bellowed his orders over the driving rain (he's got a great set of lungs). The four girls climbed into a tiny boat, Krystalia immediately going to the front and holding the lantern out over the water. Juliet sat beside her with much trepidation. As soon as Anoop was seated next to Cassie on the back bench Hagrid set the boats moving across the dark waters.   
  
"The boats going to fill up with water before we even get there!" Juliet whimpered.   
  
"I suppose we could bailed it out with our shoes," said Cassie. The remark was not received well. Anoop glowered and drew her cloak tighter.   
  
It would have been a better idea to pay attention to Krystalia who was leaning over the bow of the boat, half balanced on the rim and on the rod that held up the lantern, as she was avidly staring into the water.   
  
"Heads down!" Hagrid bellowed as the boats went until a low-lying cliff covered in ivy. As the curtain of leaves parted, Hogwarts came fully into view. The first years gaped at the magnificence of the castle, even with only its lights being the only hints of its size and splendor.   
  
Even Krystalia had to turn her attention away from whatever the lake had to offer. However, her grip slacked on the heavy lantern's pole and it started the slide into the water.   
  
"No, no, no!" Kystalia exclaimed. She clutched at the slippery pole but it was too heavy. Juliet tried as well, but it slipped through her fingers. In the stern, Anoop and Cassie could only watch because if they rushed forward to help they'd capsize. Being ballast isn't much fun, as evidenced by Anoop's white-knuckle grip on the railing.   
  
"What are you doing?" yelled Cassie.   
  
"Squid!" Krystalia yelled, as if that explained everything.   
  
Krystalia leaned further over the edge to watch the light disappear into the murky waters. It got dimmer as it fell deeper, then suddenly blinked out.   
  
Hagrid steered his boat over to them, "Sit down there, lass," he ordered. "This night's too nasty to be haven' accidents."   
  
Suddenly the boat ran into something that was not the gravelly shore, which was still a few yards away. A gelatinous swell slipped around the sides of the boat as it rose above the water line. A humongous tentacle emerged from the water holding the lost lantern.   
  
A dinner-plate sized eye swiveled and blinked off the starboard side. Anoop got a glance and muttered something about calamari.   
  
Seeing the wide eyes of every child in his care, Hagrid chuckled, "It's only the giant squid. Look! 'E brought back yer lamp. I thought I'd 'ave to talk to the merfolk about getting it back. Here's a nice chap, I'll just be puttin' it back in yer boat." Hagrid reached up for the swaying limb, practically standing in the tiny boat as it swayed precariously back and forth. He gave the tentacle a friendly shake, then gently place the lantern back in their boat. "Hold on tight this time. We're almost there."   
  
The giant squid disappeared below the surface again and the boats made it safely to shore. Huddled close to each other, the first years followed Hagrid up the stairs to an immense doorway where an old matron was waiting just inside and out of the rain. This was Professor Sinistra, a last-minute stand-in for Professor McGonagall (and the one who drew the shortest stick). Sinistra took them up to small chamber just off the main hallway to let them stew in their nervousness. Oh, and to introduce the four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin (but this was more of an after thought).   
  
The ghosts flying around weren't helping their demeanors much. How on earth are you supposed to "smarten up" when surrounded by such a racket?   
  
"Nick! Put your head back on!"   
  
"It was never completely off so how should it ever be off enough that I should have to put it on again?"   
  
"See this? That's from the Galiacia Curse. Nasty isn't it?"   
  
"Peeves! You can't cackle evilly while impersonating Dumbledore!"   
  
"Watch it! Yer not supposed to go through the live 'uns!"   
  
It's a wonder Professor Sinistra was surprised by the screams she heard when she came back to collect them.   
  



End file.
